How did grapevines weather two weird winters?

4:06 PM,
Feb. 20, 2014

Written by

Dave McIntyre
Vintages

While most of America spent last month shivering and complaining about the polar vortex, vintners were nervously checking their thermometers as record-low temperatures threatened to damage their vines.

Grapevines are dormant this season, but they are not immune to the vagaries of winter. Sustained low temperatures can damage the buds that eventually will carry this year's crop, and sudden, severe temperature drops can even kill the vines.

Vintners won't know the winter's true effects until the growing season starts in spring, but there have been reports of extensive damage to ...